OK. This is it. Done. Fini. P'tui.

I really like taking the photos. I really like how cool and interesting everything looks on the website after it is all photoshop'ed to heaven and back.

I like helping get the word out for the smaller manufacturers and putting the larger ones in perspective.

But 1750 photos (out of over 5000 including VTV) is perhaps too much of a good thing?

The show report tried to communicate how things sound in terms of a classification system for the different goals systems might have. This allows us to point out an exemplary system that sounds excellent with respect to its sonic goals, but which we personally do not care for. We hope this also helps people understand more of what things sounded like at the show, which at this point in show report technology are communicated only through this very poor alphabetic soup called English.

OK. What you al have been waiting for... the best, the worthy, the awesome, and the lucky:

Most Balanced and Hearty (tie):

Peak Consult / Berning / Continuum / Eighth Nerve / Stillpoints (report) (photos)
(Lots of potential, but perhaps needs a more powerful amp, easier to drive speaker, or maybe just a few tweaks here or there; this system is really close to something great in a small to medium-sized room)

Wilson Audio / Lamm* / Metronome Technologie / Kubala-Sosna  (report) (photos)
(I think they probably maxxed out [no pun intended] what can be done with the Wilson Sophia 2 in terms of a balanced system for a large room like this)

Most Enjoyable (in no particular order)

Verity / Nagra / Audion (report) (photos)
(I think this was also pretty maxxed out in terms of an Enjoyable system with the Verity loudspeakers in a room this size

Cain-and-Cain / Almarro (report) (photos)
(So much potential here. Would love to see this system optimized and tweaked and to make little changes to get it to do somersaults and who knows what else)

Acoustic Zen / Red Dragon / ModWright / VPI (report) (photos)
(Wasn't sure if this should go into the most balanced category or not. It is just as balanced as the other two, but not nearly as hearty a meal)

Zu Audio / Audio Pax / ModWight / Manley / Luxman (report) (photos) (rave)
(Nice system, but would love to be able to pull the speakers out, put the bass back in phase, and put a megaultra turntable on the front end)

EPOS / Creek / Music Hall (report) (photos)
(Always enjoyable, but hopefully will stay affordable, not following necessarily including the best from Shanling and sending the system into the pricing stratosphere)

Sonics by Joachim Gerhard / Ayre / Lyra Connoisseur / Lyra* (report) (photos)
(Heard lots of potential in these Sonics loudspeakers. Like to hear them in a more reasonably sized room)

Honorable Mention

WLM / Audio Aero / Brinkmann (report) (photos)
(sounded fantastically Emotional and Enjoyable the first day, and then?)

IsoMike / B&W / Pass Labs / Emm Labs* / Genex  (report) (photos)
(one word, no two, whether or not continuing to use Impressive technologies to demonstrate subtle improvements in recording technologies: Vibration Control)

McIntosh (report) (photos)
(Most sweetest. Maybe we will risk playing a test CD next show. But one step at a time - we are understandably a little ear shy after Montreal)
 

Most often seen equipment:

Muse CD player

Ayre electronics

Nordost* cables and THOR power conditioner.

Most often heard music:

Plink. Plink. Plunk. Plink.